Trivia

Children with Elizabeth - Prudence (born 1934), Penelope (born 1937) and Freja (born on 26th December, 1944)

Children with Yovanka - Charles and Cassandra

British novelist and screenwriter. Studied natural science at Cambridge University and was subsequently employed as an industrial scientist during the 1930s. During World War II he rose to the rank of brigadier and became Deputy Scientific Advisor to the Army Council, experiences later reflected in his best-known novel "The Small Back Room". In between scientific research, he worked as a screenwriter after the war, both in Britain and in Hollywood.

His first two books, both short, uncharacteristic works which were first serialized in "Punch", were published under the pseudonym of "Mark Spade".

After leaving university, he worked as a research scientist until the Second World War started, During the war, he worked as a psychologist in the Personnel Department of the War Office.

He had a big problem with alcoholism at several points in his adult life.